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Automotive industry and new mobility systems at the centre of the CES 2023 stage
Francesca Del Bello
As every year, on Jan 5-8th the CES show turned Vegas into the capital of new technologies
The place-to-be for every tech enthusiast is Las Vegas, in early January. The paradise of endless fun, nestled within the Nevada desert, every year hosts the CES, the most important showcase where companies (all of them, from big tech companies to start ups) have the chance to present – that is, in many cases, to stage – their best innovations. Alongside the pioneering and avant-garde technologies of the already well-established giants, expected to leave their mark and guide market choices in the short and medium term, there is room for the many innovations presented by the start-ups, all of them ready to market or so, to which CES organizers devote an entire area, the Eureka Park, to present themselves to investors and the varied public of the event. It is the democracy of trade shows, one might say.
What is important is that everything that revolves around technology finds space at the Las Vegas show. And, for more than one edition now, at CES this goes in hand with automotive and mobility sectors. A theme which, if not new, never ceases to attract attention, above all if one considers that over the years, innovations that have become part of our daily lives have seen the light on the Las Vegas stage: from the first VCR Recorder for homes, introduced in 1970, to game consoles among the most used in the world, to OLED technology for screens, and the list could go on for several lines. Of course, the big names in consumer electronics continue to occupy a relevant space within the event, but media and public attention is increasingly attracted by the automotive industry.
Among the most spectacular presentations reserved to the press, stand out those of car manufacturers, presenting their new products on the Sin City stage. In the conference calendar there are many discussions and meetings dedicated to the future of mobility, to the change of scenario that the entire automotive system is preparing to face: forecasts are made on the future of the sector, on how to face the changes imposed by technological evolution and by the new awareness and sensitivity to which the industry is called to respond. Walking through the corridors of the West Hall of the Convention Centre, entirely dedicated to vehicle technology, it feels like walking in one of the auto shows that made the history of the sector: the automotive brands are there, often showing spectacular installations, presenting to the world their latest models, unveiling prototypes, painting their own vision of the car of the future - with zero emissions and connected. At the center stage there are the complex digital and electronic architectures of each vehicle. Alongside this, software, hardware components, sensors and connectivity solutions to ensure an ever safer, ever more complete driving experience.
If the evolution towards fully self-driving vehicles seems to proceed at a constant but more sustained pace than the expectations of the last decade – it remains among the central assets of many companies, but brings with it a series of complexities, including some legal issues, and critical points that need to be treated with particular care – there is no doubt that the entire automotive sector is traveling at very fast pace towards a digital and alternatively powered future (and at CES this means mostly electric), with the entire industry which evolves more and more decisively in a high-tech direction.
All of this necessarily affects the repair and aftermarket sector: with the evolution (or revolution?) of vehicles, the aftermarket is called upon to remodel itself around the new needs imposed by the market and find new solutions, at its own pace, with the essential adjustments to keep moving forward alongside the vehicle industry, never lagging behind. For a future that is sustainable, in the broadest sense of the term, for everyone.
What is important is that everything that revolves around technology finds space at the Las Vegas show. And, for more than one edition now, at CES this goes in hand with automotive and mobility sectors. A theme which, if not new, never ceases to attract attention, above all if one considers that over the years, innovations that have become part of our daily lives have seen the light on the Las Vegas stage: from the first VCR Recorder for homes, introduced in 1970, to game consoles among the most used in the world, to OLED technology for screens, and the list could go on for several lines. Of course, the big names in consumer electronics continue to occupy a relevant space within the event, but media and public attention is increasingly attracted by the automotive industry.
Among the most spectacular presentations reserved to the press, stand out those of car manufacturers, presenting their new products on the Sin City stage. In the conference calendar there are many discussions and meetings dedicated to the future of mobility, to the change of scenario that the entire automotive system is preparing to face: forecasts are made on the future of the sector, on how to face the changes imposed by technological evolution and by the new awareness and sensitivity to which the industry is called to respond. Walking through the corridors of the West Hall of the Convention Centre, entirely dedicated to vehicle technology, it feels like walking in one of the auto shows that made the history of the sector: the automotive brands are there, often showing spectacular installations, presenting to the world their latest models, unveiling prototypes, painting their own vision of the car of the future - with zero emissions and connected. At the center stage there are the complex digital and electronic architectures of each vehicle. Alongside this, software, hardware components, sensors and connectivity solutions to ensure an ever safer, ever more complete driving experience.
If the evolution towards fully self-driving vehicles seems to proceed at a constant but more sustained pace than the expectations of the last decade – it remains among the central assets of many companies, but brings with it a series of complexities, including some legal issues, and critical points that need to be treated with particular care – there is no doubt that the entire automotive sector is traveling at very fast pace towards a digital and alternatively powered future (and at CES this means mostly electric), with the entire industry which evolves more and more decisively in a high-tech direction.
All of this necessarily affects the repair and aftermarket sector: with the evolution (or revolution?) of vehicles, the aftermarket is called upon to remodel itself around the new needs imposed by the market and find new solutions, at its own pace, with the essential adjustments to keep moving forward alongside the vehicle industry, never lagging behind. For a future that is sustainable, in the broadest sense of the term, for everyone.
